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Oladejo M, Nguyen HM, Silwal A, Reese B, Paulishak W, Markiewski MM, Wood LM. Listeria-based immunotherapy directed against CD105 exerts anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor efficacy in renal cell carcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1038807. [PMID: 36439126 PMCID: PMC9692019 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1038807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeting tumor-associated angiogenesis is currently at the forefront of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) therapy, with sunitinib and bevacizumab leading to increased survival in patients with metastatic RCC (mRCC). However, resistance often occurs shortly after initiation of therapy, suggesting that targeting the tumor-associated vascular endothelium may not be sufficient to eradicate RCC. This study reports the therapeutic efficacy of a Listeria (Lm)-based vaccine encoding an antigenic fragment of CD105 (Lm-LLO-CD105A) that targets both RCC tumor cells and the tumor-associated vasculature. Lm-LLO-CD105A treatment reduced primary tumor growth in both subcutaneous and orthotopic models of murine RCC. The vaccine conferred anti-tumor immunity and remodeled the tumor microenvironment (TME), resulting in increased infiltration of polyfunctional CD8+ and CD4+ T cells and reduced infiltration of immunosuppressive cell types within the TME. We further provide evidence that the therapeutic efficacy of Lm-LLO-CD105A is mediated by CD8+ T cells and is dependent on the robust antigenic expression of CD105 by RCC tumor cells. The result from this study demonstrates the safety and promising therapeutic efficacy of targeting RCC-associated CD105 expression with Lm-based immunotherapy.
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Endoglin in the Spotlight to Treat Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22063186. [PMID: 33804796 PMCID: PMC8003971 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22063186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A spotlight has been shone on endoglin in recent years due to that fact of its potential to serve as both a reliable disease biomarker and a therapeutic target. Indeed, endoglin has now been assigned many roles in both physiological and pathological processes. From a molecular point of view, endoglin mainly acts as a co-receptor in the canonical TGFβ pathway, but also it may be shed and released from the membrane, giving rise to the soluble form, which also plays important roles in cell signaling. In cancer, in particular, endoglin may contribute to either an oncogenic or a non-oncogenic phenotype depending on the cell context. The fact that endoglin is expressed by neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells within the tumor microenvironment suggests new possibilities for targeted therapies. Here, we aimed to review and discuss the many roles played by endoglin in different tumor types, as well as the strong evidence provided by pre-clinical and clinical studies that supports the therapeutic targeting of endoglin as a novel clinical strategy.
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Derivation and Validation of the Potential Core Genes in Pancreatic Cancer for Tumor-Stroma Crosstalk. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:4283673. [PMID: 30519576 PMCID: PMC6241336 DOI: 10.1155/2018/4283673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Background Pancreatic cancer is a fatal malignancy with a poor prognosis. The interactions between tumor cells and stromal cells contribute to cancer progression. Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) play a key role in tumor-stroma crosstalk of pancreatic cancer. The in-depth exploration for tumor-stroma crosstalk is helpful to develop novel therapeutic strategies. Our aim was to identify the potential core genes and pathways in tumor-stroma crosstalk. Methods 3 microarray datasets were from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened through bioinformatics analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were used to obtain the biological roles of DEGs. The top 15 DEGs were explored by principal component analysis. We validated the top 15 DEGs expression in the tumor-stroma crosstalk model in which PSCs were treated with the mixture of Aspc-1 and Panc-1 supernatant. Results A total of 221 genes were filtered as DEGs for tumor-stroma crosstalk. The results of principal component analysis for the top 15 DEGs can distinguish three groups. According to the KEGG enrichment, there were 8, 7, and 7 DEGs enriched in cancer related pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and microRNAs, respectively. In the tumor-stroma crosstalk model, significant differences can be validated in the AKAP12, CLDN1, CP, FKBP1A, LAMB3, LSM4, MTMR3, PRKARIA, YWHAZ, and JUND expressions. Conclusions These results identified the potential core genes and pathways in pancreatic cancer for tumor-stroma crosstalk, which could provide potential targets for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
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Yang Y, Guan Q, Guo L, Han C. The prognostic correlation between CD105 expression level in tumor tissue and peripheral blood and sunitinib administration in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Biol Ther 2018; 19:1006-1014. [PMID: 29799303 PMCID: PMC6301816 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2018.1470731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: The study was designed to investigate the tumor vessel-associated CD105 expression in monocytes from tumor tissue and peripheral blood (PB) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in order to provide support and reference for clinical pharmaceutical therapy. Methods: A total of 50 patients with advanced HCC who were administered with sunitinib were collected. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was utilized to assess the CD105 expression in tumor tissue, and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to determine the mRNA expression of CD105 of monocytes in tumor tissue and PB, as well as the mRNA expression of TGFβ1, Smad1-4 in tumor tissue. Afterwards, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to determine the expression level of TGFβ1 and Smad1-4 in tumor tissues. Moreover, the correlation of CD105 expression with clinicopathological characteristics, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was analyzed. Results: The Cd105 expression was detected both in tumor tissue and PB, and there was a correlation between them (r = 0.7791, P < 0.001). The OS and PSF were significantly increased in patients with lower expression of CD105 in tumor tissue compared to those with higher expression (10.9 vs 4.5, P < 0.001, 8.3 vs 6.15, P < 0.001). Consistently, the OS and PSF were significantly elevated in patients with lower expression of CD105 in PB than those with higher expression (10.3 vs 5.0, P < 0.001, 8.5 vs 6.3, P < 0.001). The OS and PSF were significantly enhanced in patients with lower expression of CD105 in both tumor tissue and PB compared to those with higher expression of CD105 in both tumor tissue and PB (12.4 vs 8.5, P < 0.001, 8.5 vs 6.5, P < 0.001). Both protein and mRNA expression of TGFβ1, Smad1, Smad2 and Smad4 in patients with high CD105 expression in tumor tissue were significantly higher than those with low CD105 expression (P < 0.001), while the protein and mRNA expression of Smad3 in patients with high CD105 expression in tumor tissue were significantly lower compared to those with low CD105 expression (P < 0.001). In analysis of correlation with tumor stage, both protein and mRNA expression of TGFβ1, Smad1, Smad2 and Smad4 in patients with stage III HCC were significantly lower than those with stage IV HCC (P < 0.001), while the protein and mRNA expression of Smad3 in patients with IV stage HCC was significantly higher in comparison to those with stage IV HCC (P < 0.001). Cox regression analysis indicated that CD105 expression in tumor tissue and PB was an independent predictive factor for the OS and PFS of advanced HCC patients who received sunitinib. Conclusions: Advanced HCC patients with lower CD105 expression in tumor tissue and PB benefited more from sunitinib administration. Moreover, CD105 expression was an independent prognostic indicator for sunitinib administration in advanced HCC, which could be used as a predictive approach for sunitinib efficacy in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314000, China
| | - Qiaobin Guan
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314000, China
| | - Li Guo
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314000, China
| | - Chenyang Han
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314000, China
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Lund K, Olsen CE, Wong JJW, Olsen PA, Solberg NT, Høgset A, Krauss S, Selbo PK. 5-FU resistant EMT-like pancreatic cancer cells are hypersensitive to photochemical internalization of the novel endoglin-targeting immunotoxin CD105-saporin. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2017; 36:187. [PMID: 29258566 PMCID: PMC5738190 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-017-0662-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Development of resistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a major problem in treatment of various cancers including pancreatic cancer. In this study, we reveal important resistance mechanisms and photochemical strategies to overcome 5-FU resistance in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. METHODS 5-FU resistant (5-FUR), epithelial-to-mesenchymal-like sub-clones of the wild type pancreatic cancer cell line Panc03.27 were previously generated in our lab. We investigated the cytotoxic effect of the endosomal/lysosomal-localizing photosensitizer TPCS2a (fimaporfin) combined with light (photochemical treatment, PCT) using MTS viability assay, and used fluorescence microscopy to show localization of TPCS2a and to investigate the effect of photodamage of lysosomes. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to investigate uptake of photosensitizer and to assess intracellular ROS levels. Expression and localization of LAMP1 was assessed using RT-qPCR, western blotting, and structured illumination microscopy. MTS viability assay was used to assess the effect of combinations of 5-FU, chloroquine (CQ), and photochemical treatment. Expression of CD105 was investigated using RT-qPCR, western blotting, flow cytometry, and fluorescence microscopy, and co-localization of TPCS2a and anti-CD105-saporin was assessed using microscopy. Lastly, the MTS assay was used to investigate cytotoxic effects of photochemical internalization (PCI) of the anti-CD105-immunotoxin. RESULTS The 5-FUR cell lines display hypersensitivity to PCT, which was linked to increased uptake of TPCS2a, altered lysosomal distribution, lysosomal photodamage and increased expression of the lysosomal marker LAMP-1 in the 5-FUR cells. We show that inhibition of autophagy induced by either chloroquine or lysosomal photodamage increases the sensitivity to 5-FU in the resistant cells. The three 5-FUR sub-clones overexpress Endoglin (CD105). Treatment with the immunotoxin anti-CD105-saporin alone significantly reduced the viability of the CD105-expressing 5-FUR cells, whereas little effect was seen in the CD105-negative non-resistant parental cancer cell lines. Strikingly, using the intracellular drug delivery method photochemical internalization (PCI) by combining light-controlled activation of the TPCS2a with nanomolar levels of CD105-saporin resulted in strong cytotoxic effects in the 5-FUR cell population. CONCLUSION Our findings suggested that autophagy is an important resistance mechanism against the chemotherapeutic drug 5-FU in pancreatic cancer cells, and that inhibition of the autophagy process, either by CQ or lysosomal photodamage, can contribute to increased sensitivity to 5-FU. For the first time, we demonstrate the promise of PCI-based targeting of CD105 in site-specific elimination of 5-FU resistant pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. In conclusion, PCI-based targeting of CD105 may represent a potent anticancer strategy and should be further evaluated in pre-clinical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja Lund
- Unit for Cell Signaling, Institute of Microbiology, Rikshospitalet, 0372 Oslo, Norway
- Hybrid Technology Hub - Centre of Excellence, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, PO Box 1112, Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Cathrine Elisabeth Olsen
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway
| | - Judith Jing Wen Wong
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway
| | - Petter Angell Olsen
- Unit for Cell Signaling, Institute of Microbiology, Rikshospitalet, 0372 Oslo, Norway
- Hybrid Technology Hub - Centre of Excellence, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, PO Box 1112, Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Nina Therese Solberg
- Unit for Cell Signaling, Institute of Microbiology, Rikshospitalet, 0372 Oslo, Norway
- Hybrid Technology Hub - Centre of Excellence, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, PO Box 1112, Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Anders Høgset
- PCI Biotech AS, Ullernchaussèn 64, 0379 Oslo, Norway
| | - Stefan Krauss
- Unit for Cell Signaling, Institute of Microbiology, Rikshospitalet, 0372 Oslo, Norway
- Hybrid Technology Hub - Centre of Excellence, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, PO Box 1112, Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Pål Kristian Selbo
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway
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Bynigeri RR, Jakkampudi A, Jangala R, Subramanyam C, Sasikala M, Rao GV, Reddy DN, Talukdar R. Pancreatic stellate cell: Pandora's box for pancreatic disease biology. World J Gastroenterol 2017; 23:382-405. [PMID: 28210075 PMCID: PMC5291844 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i3.382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) were identified in the early 1980s, but received much attention after 1998 when the methods to isolate and culture them from murine and human sources were developed. PSCs contribute to a small proportion of all pancreatic cells under physiological condition, but are essential for maintaining the normal pancreatic architecture. Quiescent PSCs are characterized by the presence of vitamin A laden lipid droplets. Upon PSC activation, these perinuclear lipid droplets disappear from the cytosol, attain a myofibroblast like phenotype and expresses the activation marker, alpha smooth muscle actin. PSCs maintain their activated phenotype via an autocrine loop involving different cytokines and contribute to progressive fibrosis in chronic pancreatitis (CP) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Several pathways (e.g., JAK-STAT, Smad, Wnt signaling, Hedgehog etc.), transcription factors and miRNAs have been implicated in the inflammatory and profibrogenic function of PSCs. The role of PSCs goes much beyond fibrosis/desmoplasia in PDAC. It is now shown that PSCs are involved in significant crosstalk between the pancreatic cancer cells and the cancer stroma. These interactions result in tumour progression, metastasis, tumour hypoxia, immune evasion and drug resistance. This is the rationale for therapeutic preclinical and clinical trials that have targeted PSCs and the cancer stroma.
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Vogiatzi F, Brandt DT, Schneikert J, Fuchs J, Grikscheit K, Wanzel M, Pavlakis E, Charles JP, Timofeev O, Nist A, Mernberger M, Kantelhardt EJ, Siebolts U, Bartel F, Jacob R, Rath A, Moll R, Grosse R, Stiewe T. Mutant p53 promotes tumor progression and metastasis by the endoplasmic reticulum UDPase ENTPD5. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E8433-E8442. [PMID: 27956623 PMCID: PMC5206569 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1612711114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene are the most frequent genetic alteration in cancer and are often associated with progression from benign to invasive stages with metastatic potential. Mutations inactivate tumor suppression by p53, and some endow the protein with novel gain of function (GOF) properties that actively promote tumor progression and metastasis. By comparative gene expression profiling of p53-mutated and p53-depleted cancer cells, we identified ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 5 (ENTPD5) as a mutant p53 target gene, which functions as a uridine 5'-diphosphatase (UDPase) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to promote the folding of N-glycosylated membrane proteins. A comprehensive pan-cancer analysis revealed a highly significant correlation between p53 GOF mutations and ENTPD5 expression. Mechanistically, mutp53 is recruited by Sp1 to the ENTPD5 core promoter to induce its expression. We show ENTPD5 to be a mediator of mutant p53 GOF activity in clonogenic growth, architectural tissue remodeling, migration, invasion, and lung colonization in an experimental metastasis mouse model. Our study reveals folding of N-glycosylated membrane proteins in the ER as a mechanism underlying the metastatic progression of tumors with mutp53 that could provide new possibilities for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fotini Vogiatzi
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Jean Schneikert
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Jeannette Fuchs
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Michael Wanzel
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Evangelos Pavlakis
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Joël P Charles
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Oleg Timofeev
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Andrea Nist
- Genomics Core Facility, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Marco Mernberger
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Genomics Core Facility, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Eva J Kantelhardt
- Clinic of Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Martin-Luther-University Halle Wittenberg, 06097 Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Udo Siebolts
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Frank Bartel
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Ralf Jacob
- Department of Cell Biology and Cell Pathology, Philipps-University, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Ariane Rath
- Institute of Pathology, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Roland Moll
- Institute of Pathology, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Robert Grosse
- Institute of Pharmacology, Philipps-University, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Stiewe
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany;
- Genomics Core Facility, Philipps-University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, 35392 Giessen, Germany
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8
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Huang YK, Liu H, Wang XZ, Zhu S. Annexin A2 and CD105 expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is associated with tumor recurrence and prognosis. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2015; 15:9921-6. [PMID: 25520129 DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.22.9921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate the value of expression of annexin A2, microvessel density (MVD) and CD105 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tissues and adjacent normal tissues, immunohistochemical staining was used. The positive expression rate of Annexin A2 and the MVD in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissues was higher than that in in adjacent normal tissues (p<0.005). Expression of Annexin A2 and MVD correlated with histological grade (p<0.05). MVD of cancers in TNM stage IIb was higher than that in TNM stageI~IIa (p<0.026). Cancerous tissues with Annexin A2 staining grade 3+ had lower MVD than the tissues with the other Annexin A2 staining grade (p<0.05). Patients with high MVD had worse prognosis. However , our study did not confirm Annexin A2 was an independent risk factor for patients with PDAC. We confirmed MVD labeled by CD105 was an independent risk factor for patients with PDAC and had moderate predictive value of prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Kai Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China E-mail :
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9
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Pal K, Pletnev AA, Dutta SK, Wang E, Zhao R, Baral A, Yadav VK, Aggarwal S, Krishnaswamy S, Alkharfy KM, Chowdhury S, Spaller MR, Mukhopadhyay D. Inhibition of endoglin-GIPC interaction inhibits pancreatic cancer cell growth. Mol Cancer Ther 2014; 13:2264-75. [PMID: 25125675 PMCID: PMC4229952 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-14-0291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Endoglin, a 180-kDa disulfide-linked homodimeric transmembrane receptor protein mostly expressed in tumor-associated endothelial cells, is an endogenous binding partner of GAIP-interacting protein, C terminus (GIPC). Endoglin functions as a coreceptor of TβRII that binds TGFβ and is important for vascular development, and consequently has become a compelling target for antiangiogenic therapies. A few recent studies in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), breast cancer, and ovarian cancer, however, suggest that endoglin is upregulated in tumor cells and is associated with poor prognosis. These findings indicate a broader role of endoglin in tumor biology, beyond angiogenic effects. The goal of our current study is to evaluate the effects of targeting endoglin in pancreatic cancer both in vitro and in vivo. We analyzed the antiproliferative effect of both RNAi-based and peptide ligand-based inhibition of endoglin in pancreatic cancer cell lines, the latter yielding a GIPC PDZ domain-targeting lipopeptide with notable antiproliferative activity. We further demonstrated that endoglin inhibition induced a differentiation phenotype in the pancreatic cancer cells and sensitized them against conventional chemotherapeutic drug gemcitabine. Most importantly, we have demonstrated the antitumor effect of both RNAi-based and competitive inhibitor-based blocking of endoglin in pancreatic cancer xenograft models in vivo. To our knowledge, this is the first report exploring the effect of targeting endoglin in pancreatic cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishnendu Pal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Alexandre A Pletnev
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Shamit K Dutta
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Enfeng Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Ruizhi Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Aradhita Baral
- Proteomics and Structural Biology Unit, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Vinod Kumar Yadav
- G.N.R. Knowledge Center for Genome Informatics, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Suruchi Aggarwal
- G.N.R. Knowledge Center for Genome Informatics, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Khalid M Alkharfy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Department of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shantanu Chowdhury
- Proteomics and Structural Biology Unit, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, India. G.N.R. Knowledge Center for Genome Informatics, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Mark R Spaller
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire
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10
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Xu Z, Pothula SP, Wilson JS, Apte MV. Pancreatic cancer and its stroma: A conspiracy theory. World J Gastroenterol 2014; 20:11216-11229. [PMID: 25170206 PMCID: PMC4145760 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i32.11216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Revised: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is characterised by a prominent desmoplastic/stromal reaction that has received little attention until recent times. Given that treatments focusing on pancreatic cancer cells alone have failed to significantly improve patient outcome over many decades, research efforts have now moved to understanding the pathophysiology of the stromal reaction and its role in cancer progression. In this regard, our Group was the first to identify the cells (pancreatic stellate cells, PSCs) that produced the collagenous stroma of pancreatic cancer and to demonstrate that these cells interacted closely with cancer cells to facilitate local tumour growth and distant metastasis. Evidence is accumulating to indicate that stromal PSCs may also mediate angiogenesis, immune evasion and the well known resistance of pancreatic cancer to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This review will summarise current knowledge regarding the critical role of pancreatic stellate cells and the stroma in pancreatic cancer biology and the therapeutic approaches being developed to target the stroma in a bid to improve the outcome of this devastating disease.
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11
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Wilson JS, Pirola RC, Apte MV. Stars and stripes in pancreatic cancer: role of stellate cells and stroma in cancer progression. Front Physiol 2014; 5:52. [PMID: 24592240 PMCID: PMC3924046 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 01/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease with an unacceptably high mortality to incidence ratio. Traditional therapeutic approaches such as surgery in combination with chemo- or radiotherapy have had limited efficacy in improving the outcome of this disease. Up until just under a decade ago, the prominent desmoplastic reaction which is a characteristic of the majority of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) had been largely ignored. However, since the identification of the pancreatic stellate cell (PSC) as the key cell responsible for the production of the collagenous stroma in PDAC, increasing attention has been paid to the role of the stromal reaction in pancreatic cancer pathobiology. There is now compelling evidence that PSCs interact not only with cancer cells themselves, but with several other cell types in the stroma (endothelial cells, immune cells, and possibly neuronal cells) to promote cancer progression. This review summarizes current knowledge in the field about the influence of PSCs and the stromal microenvironment on cancer behavior and discusses novel therapeutic approaches which reflect an increasing awareness amongst clinicians and researchers that targeting cancer cells alone is no longer sufficient to improve patient outcome and that combinatorial treatments targeting the stroma as well as the cancer cells will be required to change the clinical course of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S Wilson
- Pancreatic Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, South Western Sydney Clinical School, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, University of New South Wales Liverpool, NSW, Australia ; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Romano C Pirola
- Pancreatic Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, South Western Sydney Clinical School, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, University of New South Wales Liverpool, NSW, Australia ; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Minoti V Apte
- Pancreatic Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, South Western Sydney Clinical School, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, University of New South Wales Liverpool, NSW, Australia ; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research Liverpool, NSW, Australia
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